Like “A Clockwork Orange”, this book is probably more famous as a film. But, again, the book is infinitely better!

Jeffery Eugenides has received much praise in the past few years for his novel Middlesex, which is a great book too, but The Virgin Suicides was his first mega hit…and for good reason.

It is a simple yet powerful story. Eugenides forgoes the use of literary devices and flowery language and instead pours his energy into creating a unique plot. The title is pretty self-explanatory and the frankness with which Eugenides describes the events is riveting. Some books are enhanced by descriptive details and flowery imagery, but The Virgin Suicides proves that none of that is necessary when weaving a great story. It is a perfect example of how a short and concise book can still evoke emotion when written by a great author.

The story revolves around the five Lisbon sisters and events that take place in their town. It is told from the point of view of a group of boys who are obsessed with the sisters. This is interesting because, just like the narrators, the reader never truly knows what is happening inside the sisters’ heads and can only make assumptions. Read More »

I’m sure most of you have heard of the Stanley Kurbick classic cult film A Clockwork Orange, but I bet you didn’t know that the movie is actually based on a book of the same name! And that this book happens to be a million times better than the movie!

The movie follows the novel quite loyally, so if you’ve seen the film, don’t expect any surprises as far as plot goes in the book. But don’t worry; it’s not a waste of time to read if you’ve seen the movie! You don’t read A Clockwork Orange for the plot or even the story; you read it for the experience. Now, this requires a bit of explanation.

This book is written mostly in English, but a good majority of it is written in a slang that Burgess created called Nadsat. Derived from Russian, a lot of common English words are replaced with their Nadsat counterparts (ex. viddy = to watch, horrorshow = good, devotcha = girl). At first, this part of the book is confusing and many readers find themselves overwhelmed and give up. That’s understandable, as one literally needs a Nadsat dictionary (included in the back with most editions of the novel) to even make sense of the sentences. But that’s the fun of reading this book! It’s an experience.

As you progress further, you find yourself needing the dictionary less and less. You start to learn the language! This learning experience also echoes themes and events in the book, which I find make it even more interesting. Read More »

Along with books, another obsession of mine is music. I have what one would call “eclectic” taste, in that I like absolutely EVERYTHING. You’re equally as likely to hear me rapping along to Biggie Smalls, belting out a classic from Fleetwood Mac or humming a tune from some little-known indie band about to blow up.

So clearly, I love music biographies.

If you read my list of 5 modern must-reads, you’ll know I encourage everyone to read rockstar biographies. I really love getting inside the brain and life of my favorite musicians; it totally changes the way I see them and gives me a glimpse into their life as a real person.

When I found “I’m With the Band” in the music section of my local bookstore I figured it would be another typical memoir from the music world, but I soon realized it wasn’t your typical music biography.

Pamela Des Barres was a groupie. Not just any groupie – a super groupie. She had flings or relationships with Jim Morrison, Mick Jagger, Keith Moon and even Don Johnson (yes, Miami Vice Don Johnson) and was Frank Zappa’s babysitter! Needless to say, she had an “in” in the music world. Read More »

[We all get bogged down with the required reading lists handed to us by our over-zealous professors. When we aren't laying in bed with a textbook and 3 highlighters, we are resting our eyes (and brains) with a little TV. No one wants to read any more than they have to.

Not so fast, girls. I am here to show you some books that are totes worth reading when the 347 pages of History/English/Psych reading are finished. Books that will make you laugh, cry, and change the way you think. Good books (which I know is hard to believe when you think of the stuff assigned for class). Stick with me and you will spend a lot less time watching Real World reruns, and a lot more time enjoying books again.]

Chelsea Handler is quite a character. She’s a TV host, stand-up comidienne and author. And if you’ve never heard of her it’s about time that you had.

“Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea.” is considered a memoir. More accurately, it’s a collection of some of the most hilarious stories from Chelsea’s life, almost like a sneak peek into her diary. But let me warn you, these are not your average diary entries.

A far cry from “Dear Diary, today I met the most wonderful boy,” or “We had tuna casserole for dinner,” each one of Chelsea’s stories is utterly and completely hilarious. I mean, this is a book you do not want to read in public, because you will find yourself laughing out loud and that always gets looks. Not to mention the fact that people will ask what you are laughing at and you’ll have to explain a sitution involving Chelsea breaking out of prison. Read More »

While diving into a giant slice of warm apple pie (the kind with the crumble topping) and a melty scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, I thought to myself,

“Holy sh*t, this is better than sex.”

And I totally meant it. That treat was pure heaven: creamy, sweet, indulgant…and I didn’t have to have awkward conversation with it after.

There aren’t many things I think that highly of, but I would give up sex for that dessert any day. (Or every day if it was fat free.) Like me, the rest of the CollegeCandy writers love getting frisky, but this week they weighed in on the very special things in life that are truly better than sex.

Olua: A good book. Call me a nerd if you want, but I’d usually rather be reading on an uneventful night than doin’ the dirty.

S.E. – Fordham: Gooey butter cake is way better then sex. It melts in your mouth, tastes like heaven, and is sweeter then any orgasm.

Kathryn S.: The thrill of the chase, because you can imagine “the perfect moment,” you don’t have to worry about “the morning after,” and because Chuck Bass instigated it on Gossip Girl.

Erica – Kent State: I don’t know why, but I am absolutely in love with pizza. I can’t tell you how many nights I have decided to skip going home with a hot guy in favor of returning to mi casa because I knew my roommates were going to order something from Pizza Hut. Read More »